Temptations
by ArielDollface
Summary: Amu moves to the US to find Ikuto, and meets new people. Sorry for horrible summary! Amuto!
1. Forget and Remember

_**Te**__mp_tati**on**_s_

Amu Hinamori is sixteen years old, and starting a new school, in a whole new country.

Her quest: Look for **him**_**.**_

Her companions: Her new friends.

Her reasoning: Realization.

Do you need any more to infer?

**Chapter One- **Fo**rg**_et_an_**dR**_em_em_**ber**

* * *

><p><em>Hi! I just had to rewrite this because I reread it, and I found so many errors, I nearly died. So, I changed Amu from a cold Goth girl to a scene chick!<br>Please don't hate me for changing this! Or not working on the sequel for All It Takes. I'll get on that! I promise!  
>Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara!, any brands used in this story, or any songs used.<em>

Her hair reached her thin waist, her eyes barely covered by her hair. The clothes she wore were tight and a mixture of colorful and dark. She carried a purple messenger bag that had the suits of a deck of cards sewn into it.

She wore a black mesh shirt, with a bright pink tank top underneath it. Her black skinny jeans were torn from the knees all up her thighs, mismatched Converse All-Star shoes on her feet; one pink, one light blue. She had a rainbow spiked belt on her waist, and a blue spade charm dangled from her belt loop. She had half of her long hair pulled back and fell down in a braid, red X-clips in her hair, holding some away from her face.

She walked into the school, people stopping to look at her and whisper. This school didn't get many new kids, let alone foreign ones. She found the office with some difficulty, though she didn't show it. She opened the door and the secretary looked up at her, smiling.

"Hello. How can I help you?" the small, pudgy middle aged woman asked as her, her voice was light and cheerful.

"I'm new, I need to pick up my schedule." She replied with a small, polite smile. The woman nodded, standing to move to the computer across the office.

"Your name, sweetheart?" she asked, standing at the computer.

"Amu Hinamori." she replied, handing her a piece of paper to help her spell it. Soon enough, she had her schedule and a map of the school.

Amu walked to class, easily ignoring the stares from the few kids in the class. A girl with short black and blonde hair looked at her, and smiled at her. Amu moved to sit next to her, seeing as how she seemed to be the best bet at a friendship in that class.

"I'm Skye." She said as Amu sat down. Skye had on a tight pink v-neck, loose torn blue jeans, scuffed up Vans, and a faded gray hoodie.

"Amu." Amu replied, smiling slightly at the girl. Amu noticed she had what looked to be a tender lip ring, so Amu pointed to her own lip, a confused look on her face,

"Just got it done last night. Doesn't hurt, but it was swollen so bad last night." Skye said, laughing to show it wasn't a bother to her. "I'm actually getting my eyebrow done after school. It's all my early birthday present." she continued

The two girls were instantly friends, talking for the remaining time before class. Skye pulled an iPhone out and quickly did some things. Soon enough she was handing the phone to Amu under the desk, and Amu saw it was set for adding a new contact. Amu quickly typed her name in and her cellphone number, and saved it for Skye.

Amu pulled her own new Droid X, and opened her contacts, handing it to Skye to put her number in. Skye smiled at her as she handed the phone. After Amu had her phone back, she looked through her increasingly large number of contacts. She still had everyone from Japan in her contacts, and she texted them everyday, though the conflicting hours made it hard. Amu stopped at the name that had haunted her for years now, and she stared at it with obvious pain in her eyes.

_Ikuto_

She had sent him an endless list of messages, with no reply each time. She even tried calling him once, only to get his voice mail.

"Miss Vanity, seeing as how you and our new student are nicely acquainted, could you show her around the school this period?" The teacher, Mrs. Morrison, asked Skye as she caught the two girls whispering in the back of the class. Skye looked at the teacher and shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" Skye said, standing, up. Amu followed suit, and grabbed her things and the two set out into the now quiet halls with a pass from the teacher. Skye smiled and looked at Amu.

"I'm going to show you where your classes are, then we're ditching. If you're not into that, then I'm ditching you here." Skye said simply, extending her hand for Amu's schedule.

"Trust me, I'm only enrolled here because it's the law." Amu said, handing over her schdeule and following Skye through the halls.

"Your classes are all pretty much in this hall, though the gym is across the school. Hard to miss so you don't need my help finding it. You have a locker yet?" Amu shook her head, and Skye nodded. "You can share mine. I only keep textbooks in there, I don't bring much so I have plenty of room for your things." Skye said, showing her to her locker, and with that, Amu followed Skye to the parking lot, to Skye's car- a slick black 2009 Mercedes. New, by the looks of it. Skye got them a safe distance from the campus in twenty minutes.

Skye drove them to the mall, and parked in the already packed lot. She lead Amu through the doors near the movie theater and past a few shops, pointing to her favorites.

"Wanna get your hair done? It looks a bit messy, and I know a pretty great salon that can fix it up and do whatever you want to it." Skye asked. Amu shrugged, and followed Skye to a small salon called Vanité. A girl who looked just slightly older than them was at the counter, who looked at the two, and shook her head at Skye.

"Mom is going to kill you for cutting. Again." she said at Skye, her blue eyes disapproving. Skye let out a short laugh before smiling at her.

"You're such a boy scout, Mia. Don't worry, I'll be sure to go tomorrow." Skye replied, and was rewarded with an eye roll from the other girl. Amu looked at the two, confused at the altercation, which Skye noticed.

"This is my mom's salon, and my big sister, Amelia. Oh, Mia, can you fix her hair up? This is Amu, by the way." Skye continued on. Mia nodded and gestured for the girls to follow her into the back.

"Any preferences on coloring and style?" Mia asked as she had Amu lay down in a shampoo chair.

"Um, not really." Amu said, and Mia nodded. She looked at Skye and gestured to a stack of style books.

"You pick everything then." she instructed Skye, who nodded and grabbed a book and began to flip through it. Her face disappeared from Amu's view as she was leaned back into a shampoo chair. Mia's expert fingers avoided getting caught on any tangles, and she used a strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner.

"Hey, Amu, you like this cut?" Skye said, holding a picture in front of Amu's face. It was a girl who had shoulder length hair that was obviously layered; the hair covered her left eye and had short layers on top and longer ones under. Amu looked at it, considering the style for her.

"It's cute. I like it." Amu said, deciding it was okay. Skye smiled, and nodded. She then moved to another book, looking for hair coloring.

"Do you want to keep it black? Or change it up a bit?" Skye asked, looking at Amu. Amu blinked.

"Um, I don't really care. Just whatever you think will look okay." Amu said, smiling slightly at Skye, who just nodded and returned to the book. Mia led Amu to a stylist chair and sat down, allowing Mia to slip her hair up and begin cutting. Skye moved to stand next to Mia, and pointed to a picture in the book she was holding.

"Would it work?" Skye asked, her voice slightly nervous. Mia looked at it thoughtfully, then back at Amu's reflection in the mirror.

"Looks good to me. Show her, see if she likes it." Mia said, resuming her job at cutting Amu's thick hair. Skye moved from Mia's side to Amu's, and held the book in front of her. The picture was of a girl with a black base of hair, with various parts dyed every color of the rainbow, all mixing expertly with the black.

"Now that is some epic hair." Amu said, laughing. Skye smiled, and nodded before laying it down on the counter for Mia.

"Yeah, pretty epic. Not many kids can rock it, either. It's an... acquired look for a lot of kids." Skye said, leaning against the wall next to the mirror in front of Amu. The three all talked while Mia worked on Amu's hair.

It took thirty minutes to finish the cut, and well over an hour for all the coloring. Amu looked at herself in the mirror, slightly afraid of what she looked like now. She noticed how all the colors in her hair were subtle and not easily noticed, and went along with the clothes she wore and had at home.

"It's coming out of Skye's allowance, so don't worry about paying anything." Mia said as she started to clean up the area she worked in. Amu nodded, and moved from the chair, to look again in the mirror, to admire her hair.

"You like it, I assume?" Skye asked as she stood next to Amu. Amu noticed then how much taller Skye was than her, and her petite build for the first time now that she took off her hoodie. Amu smiled and nodded.

"It looks great. Your sister has amazing skill." Amu said, and Skye laughed and nodded. She gestured for Amu to follow her out of the salon and back into the crowded mall.

"Let's shop around, have fun. School gets out early today and I'm meeting my sister and a few friends after, in the food court." Skye said, walking in a random direction, towards the stairs, Amu following.

The two window shopped for a few hours, and occasionally went into a store and bought something, though said somethings were barely bigger than a cell phone. Soon enough, Skye was leading Amu to the food court on the other side of the mall.

Once in the food court, Skye walked towards the tables in the back, where a few people sat. Skye went straight to a group of three girls, all sitting at a table, talking and laughing.

The tallest girl had shoulder length black hair and murky hazel eyes. She wore a pair of faded skinny jeans, which were frayed around the knees and pockets, showing obvious wear-and-tear, her shirt looked a tad too small, but not very tight on her frame and said "Love and Lies."

Another girl looked to be Skye's height, and was identical to Skye also; same hair, same eyes. She wore a pair of plain blue jeans, a black tank top along with a white button up top, which was undone.

The shortest girl, and skinniest, had dark brown hair that barely touched her shoulder and grassy green eyes. She wore a purple short sleeved shirt that was over a dark green long sleeved shirt, and a pair of black skinny jeans, with a black hoodie sitting in her lap.

"Girls, this is Amu. She's new to the school." Skye introduced her as they sat down at the table. The girls all treated Amu to smiles and 'hellos' as she sat down.

The tallest girl waved slightly, looking straight at Amu.

"My name's Silver." She said smiling at Amu who smiled back and nodded. Then the girl Amu assumed to be Skye's sister jumped in.

"I'm Era. Skye's twin sister." she said, grinning at Amu, who couldn't help but smile back to the girl. She had a lot of energy.

"And I'm Jade." the last girl greeted, smiling slightly and messing with her jacket. Amu nodded, and waited for conversation.

"Where you from, Amu?" Era asked, having some trouble with her name. Amu smiled at that, then looked at Era, smiling.

"Born and raised in Japan. I just moved here about a month ago." Amu replied simply, her tone light and conversational. Everyone looked at her, impressed.

"It can't be easy, moving across the world. How'd you do it?" Silver gushed, her face awestruck as she leaned in to listen to Amu's reply.

"Well, it took me a while to adjust. Japan is a lot different, etiquette-wise. The biggest change was mostly the language. I spent about a year studying in Japan, and in the month I was settling, I learned the slang of the area, and worked on dropping my accent." Amu explained, and with that, the girls noticed Amu had a very light Japanese accent.

"Wow. I could never do that. I'm too American to move to Japan, or even Britain! And Britain speaks the same language!" Silver said, laughing. The girls laughed at Silver, and continued to talk to Amu about Japan.

"Hey, Amu. I have a question." Jade asked, finally speaking up. She hadn't spoken the whole time Amu was there, other than to say her name. Amu looked at her, and nodded.

"Yeah?" Amu asked, confused. Jade looked at her for a second, as if contemplating whether or not to ask her question.

"Why'd you come to America?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her. Amu was quiet for a minute, wondering if she should answer the question honestly.

"I'm... I'm looking for someone. And he's most likely here." she replied, deciding for the honest route. The three girls were quite as they took in this news, and looked at Amu. It was Skye who decided to speak up.

"To move to a country that's across the world, this must be one important someone." she said slowly, carefully wording her statement. Amu looked at her, a half smile on her face, and nodded.

"Yeah, he is." she said, sparking the girls interest even more. Era looked at her, and smiled knowingly.

"So, do you, like, love this person?" Era asked, though the look in her eyes said she already knew the answer.

* * *

><p><em>And you can hate me for keeping the end the same! I'll be working on chapter two, as well as my other projects. Honestly, don't expect an update fast. I'm really busy with stuff, and have very little time to sit and write, but I promise to work as much as I can!<em>

_:)_


	2. Lost And Found

_**Te**__mp_tati**on**_s_

Amu Hinamori is sixteen years old, and starting a new school, in a whole new country.

Her quest: Look for **him**_**.**_

Her companions: Her new friends.

Her reasoning: Realization.

Do you need any more to infer?

**Chapter 2: Lost and Found**

**/**

**Heeey! I'm back! Finally.**

**Here's the long-awaited chapter 2!**

**Enjoy!**

**/**

_"Why'd you come to America?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her. Amu was quiet for a minute, wondering if she should answer the question honestly._

_"I'm... I'm looking for someone. And he's most likely here." she replied, deciding for the honest route. The three girls were quite as they took in this news, and looked at Amu. It was Skye who decided to speak up._

_"To move to a country that's across the world, this must be one important someone." she said slowly, carefully wording her statement. Amu looked at her, a half smile on her face, and nodded._

_"Yeah, he is." she said, sparking the girls interest even more. Era looked at her, and smiled knowingly._

_"So, do you, like, love this person?" Era asked, though the look in her eyes said she already knew the answer._

**/**

Amu was silent for a long time, in both shock and thought. Did she love him? Or was he just a friend she dearly missed? Skye bit her lip, eyeing Amu nervously.

"You don't have to answer, Amu. It's okay, Era gets ahead of herself sometimes." Skye said quickly, hoping to end the awkward silence. Amu blinked, and shook her head.

"No, it's fine… To answer your question, Era, yes. I do love him." she smiled as she spoke, the words sounding so perfect to her. She remembered what he had told her when he left, that he loved her. And he'd make her fall in love with him. Era let out a relieved sigh, and smiled wide.

"That's great! What's he like? Tall, dark, and handsome? Jock? Emo?" Era gushed, feeling so much closer to Amu now. Amu laughed, and looked out the window, up to the sunny sky.

"Tall, dark, and handsome. He plays violin. He's beyond amazing at it." Amu said, her voice tender. Jade smiled.

"He can't be too hard to find, you know. Not that many classical violin players around. Maybe in the city there are more, but not many." Jade said, tilting her head to the side slightly. Amu shrugged.

"You'd think. I've been here a month, and I still haven't found him." Amu reasoned, to which the girls nodded.

"What's his name? My brother works in the city during the week, I can ask him to listen out for his name." Silver suggested, and Amu smiled.

"Ikuto. He's a few years older than me." Amu replied, and Silver nodded.

"Pretty sure I'll forget that by time I talk to Elliot again, but I'll try to remember." Silver smiled, and Amu laughed.

"Ask me anytime if you forget." she replied, a lopsided grin on her face. Silver nodded, looking out the window.

The girls were so engrossed in their conversation, they didn't notice that Mia had appeared next to their table.

"Skye, Era. Mom want's you to head to the salon to clean up. Mall's closing soon." Mia said, waving to the other girls she didn't address. The twins reluctantly got up, waving bye and promising to see them in the morning. Mia smiled at them all before turning to follow her sisters.

"Well, my mom's here. I'm taking you home, right, Jade?" Silver stood, grabbing her bag from under her chair. Jade nodded, standing up, too.

"I'm sure Ms. Hannah can give you a ride home, too." Jade said to Amu, who looked up at her in surprise.

"Oh, no. I'd hate to be a bother. I can just call my room mate to pick me up." Amu smiled, holding up her phone.

"It'd be fine, you know. Ms. Hannah is cool. But, if you're sure, see you at school tomorrow." Jade smiled, waving bye and following Silver out of the mall. Amu grabbed her bag, and walked outside, dialing her room mates number.

"Hey, I need to get picked up. Care to test out your driving skills?" Amu asked her room mate, smiling as she walked to a bench.

In about ten minutes, her room mates car pulled up next to her. Amu grinned and waved, walking to the car. She tossed her stuff into the backseat, and sat in the comfortable car.

"You're finding someone else to pick you up next time." the girl next to her said simply as Amu settled. Amu laughed.

"Of course, Utau. Of course."

**/**

**The end of chapter two!**

**I'm sorry its so short, but I wanted to end there.**

**Please review!**

**-xx Dolly**


	3. Caged Bird

_**Te**__mp_tati**on**_s_

Amu Hinamori is seventeen years old, and starting a new school, in a whole new country.

Her quest: Look for **him**_**.**_

Her companions: Her new friends.

Her reasoning: Realization.

Do you need any more to infer?

**/**

**Chapter Three: Caged Bird**

**/**

"_Hey, I need to get picked up. Care to test out your driving skills?" Amu asked her room mate, smiling as she walked to a bench._

_In about ten minutes, her room mates car pulled up next to her. Amu grinned and waved, walking to the car. She tossed her stuff into the backseat, and sat in the comfortable car._

"_You're finding someone else to pick you up next time." the girl next to her said simply as Amu settled. Amu laughed._

"_Of course, Utau. Of course."_

**/**

Utau all but verbally assaulted Amu for details of her day- why she got the phone call she was absent for three classes, why her hair was different, and why she was even at the mall. Amu held a guilty grin on her face as she answered her blonde best friend.

"Okay, first off- I ditched. What's the point of going? I'm here to find Ikuto, not get the all-American education!" Amu stated, crossing her arms childishly. Utau sighed, and shook her head.

"Yeah, I know. There are laws, Amu. Just because we were born in another country doesn't mean we're excused. You _have _to go to school. Like it or not." Utau repeated the same argument for what seemed to be the thousandth time. Amu scowled out the window, glaring at whatever she could.

"Whatever." Amu replied, making Utau glare at her from the corner of her eye.

"Hinamori Amu, do not make me send you home." Utau threatened, pulling into their apartment parking lot. Amu gasped, and stared at her.

"You wouldn't!" Amu's golden eyes were wide and full of worry. Utau looked at her as she parked.

"If I have to, I will. You can look for Ikuto after school and on breaks. I can't afford to keep you here all day. Your parents were iffy enough with you coming to stay with me. You have no idea what I had to promise to get you here, and even still I have a time limit." Utau got out of the car, refusing to look at Amu's expression any longer. Amu followed Utau, her face set in a confused expression.

"What?" she asked, grabbing her school things from the car, and jogging to their front door.

"I promised to keep you in school, keep you on honor roll, and have you back in Japan in exactly one year. It's the best I could physically do." Utau unlocked the door, and ushered the perplexed teen inside. Amu nodded.

"Sounds just like them. I'm nearly 18! They can't make me go back. After my birthday, I'm free to do as I want." Amu replied, placing her bag on the ground by the door. Utau just looked at her from the kitchen door, not answering.

"I _will_ find Ikuto. If I want to go home after, then I will. Otherwise, I'm gonna do what I want. I'll finish school- it's only a year." Amu stated, walking down the hall to her room. Utau sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Seriously, Hinamori. You're gonna be the death of me." she muttered to herself before picking up the phone to call her parents.

The next morning, Amu rolled out of bed- literally- to Utau yanking the covers from her.

"Utau! Stop it! I'm up, god!" Amu protested, crashing to the cold floor. Utau stood above her, clad in her pajamas, looking like an avenging angel.

"Get dressed, go to school. You're bus will pick you up at the corner in 45 minutes." Utau directed, hands on her hips. Amu nodded, unsure of what had happened to her best friend. Utau stalked out of the room, and back into her own, as Amu stood and tossed her covers and pillows back on the bed.

She stumbled her way through the dark to her bathroom, and got to work on her hair and makeup for the day. She chose to wear Ikuto's old school shirt (given to her by none other than Utau), a black tank top under that, a pair of old jeans that barely hung onto her hipbones, and a pair of (matching) converse. She put on her rainbow belt, and the spade charm, along with a wristband for her favorite (American) band, Sleeping With Sirens. She switched out her school stuff for the day, grabbed a Pop Tart and orange juice, and was out the door with ten minutes to spare.

Amu got off the bus to see Skye and Era waiting by the doors to the school. Amu walked to them, eating her Pop Tart, and they smiled at her.

"What's up?" Era asked as Amu joined them. Amu smiled as she held up her Pop Tart, her mouth too full to respond. The twins laughed and nodded in understanding.

"Any leads on the boy you're enamored with?" Skye asked once Amu swallowed her food. Amu shook her head.

"No. My room mate said I can't until 'after school and weekends,' because of the damn laws." Amu answered, tossing her trash away.

"And you're gonna listen to her?" Era questioned her, confused.

"I have to if I want to stay here. My parent's told her if I don't keep my grades up and come here and keep myself straight, I'm on the next flight home." Amu explained. The twins still looked doubtful.

"Rebel." Skye said simply.

"Look, I have no choice. I wish I could not waste my time in school, and look for Ikuto, but I'm 17, and until my birthday, I'm stuck doing what I'm told by my parents and Utau." Amu halfheartedly argued.

"What's this about being stuck?" Silver asked as she joined the group, with Jade trailing behind her.

"Just Amu being stuck listening to parental figures." Skye replied flippantly. Silver nodded.

"Ah, so like the rest of us?" she asked, to which Era shook her head.

"Not really. She's not from here. So, she has to literally follow their orders." Era stated, to which Jade made a face.

"Ick. It really sucks to be you, hon." Jade said, and Amu nodded.

"Yeah, well, what can I do? I'll look for him after school. I'm going to the city this weekend." Amu relayed her plans to the girls.

"We'll tag along to the city. For after school, Sil here might be a bigger help. Her mom knows a lot of people, and I think Elliott is gonna be in town today, so you can ask him if he knows." Era said, pointing to her twin as she spoke. Amu nodded, and smiled.

"You guys don't have to help me find him. It's my problem, not yours." Amu lightly argued, but the girls shook their heads.

"We want to help! You're our friend, and this guy sounds like someone we'd want to meet!" Jade argued back, a huge grin on her face. Amu laughed and nodded.

"Then, thanks. It means a lot." Amu said. The girls smiled and nodded as the bell rang.

"Amu! What's your fifth period?" Jade asked her over the commotion of people hurrying to their classes.

"Um, AP Statistics." Amu read off her schedule. Jade scowled.

"None of us have it. Good luck!" Jade called before hurrying off to her own class. Amu waved at the rest of the girls before joining the stream of kids hurrying to class.

"It's going to be a loooong day." Amu mumbled under her breath as she found her class.

**/**

**End, chapter three!**

**I decided to make this one a tad longer than the others. I had a few ideas to cram in here.**

**I've got most of this story written already, I just need some opinions here!**

**Do you guys want a long story with short chapters, or shorter story with longer chapters?**

**And how often do you want an update! Weekly or bi-weekly?**

**Please let me know!**

**- Dolly xx**


	4. The Search Is On

_**Te**__mp_tati**on**_s_

Amu Hinamori is seventeen years old, and starting a new school, in a whole new country.

Her quest: Look for **him**_**.**_

Her companions: Her new friends.

Her reasoning: Realization.

Do you need any more to infer?

**/**

**Chapter Four: The Search Is On**

**Okaaaay, finally, the real chapter! I know a lot of you wanted your own characters added, so I'm going to wait a week or so more, then AT RANDOM, select which characters get put in!**

**I'm sorry, ahead of time, if your character doesn't get put in. I'm not pulling favorites!**

**Two people, though, have been guaranteed a character. I need 4 more, so check you inboxes! I'll PM you if you got in!**

**/**

"_We'll tag along to the city. For after school, Sil here might be a bigger help. Her mom knows a lot of people, and I think Elliott is gonna be in town today, so you can ask him if he knows." Era said, pointing to her twin as she spoke. Amu nodded, and smiled._

"_You guys don't have to help me find him. It's my problem, not yours." Amu lightly argued, but the girls shook their heads._

"_We want to help! You're our friend, and this guy sounds like someone we'd want to meet!" Jade argued back, a huge grin on her face. Amu laughed and nodded._

"_Then, thanks. It means a lot." Amu said. The girls smiled and nodded as the bell rang._

"_Amu! What's your fifth period?" Jade asked her over the commotion of people hurrying to their classes._

"_Um, AP Statistics." Amu read off her schedule. Jade scowled._

"_None of us have it. Good luck!" Jade called before hurrying off to her own class. Amu waved at the rest of the girls before joining the stream of kids hurrying to class._

"_It's going to be a loooong day." Amu mumbled under her breath as she found her class._

**/**

The school day dragged by significantly slow for Amu. She made little notes on scrap paper for her plans on finding Ikuto. Once the lunch bell rang, Amu was out of the class and looking for Skye.

"Looking for someone?" a voice said from behind her, causing her to jump and whirl around.

"Tadase!" she recognized the person immediately. A grin made its way on her face as she hugged him.

"Hi, Amu." he said as he laughed.

"What are you doing here?" Amu questioned him once she got off of him.

"We're on break back home. My family came here on vacation. We're just stopping her for the night, we're heading out tomorrow morning." Tadase explained. Amu nodded.

"Then, why are you here, at my school?" Amu asked him.

"I ran into Utau in the city, and she told me you went to school here. I thought I'd drop by and visit." Tadase answered her, and Amu laughed.

"Ah. I don't think you can be here right now, though. It's only lunch time. I can meet with you after school, if you'd like?" Amu suggested.

"If I'm still here, then sure." Tadase smiled at her before turning to leave. Amu waved at him, her back to the crowds of people.

"Who was _that_?" Amu heard Skye's voice from behind her. She whirled around, and saw Skye and Era looking at her.

"That was some mad fast Japanese there, girl." Era commented, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape.

"Oh, hey. That was Tadase. He's a friend of mine from back home." Amu answered, laughing. Skye nodded once.

"Figured that wasn't your boy crush. He's a tad.. Girly?" Skye looked at Era for confirmation of her word choice. Era nodded.

"I've seen trannies that look less girly." Era stated. Amu laughed.

"Don't be mean, guys. He's practically Ikuto's little brother!" Amu defended her friend. Skye raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Fair enough. C'mon, lets find a place to sit." Skye turned on her heel and lead them towards the tables in the courtyard.

For the entirety of lunch, Amu was interrogated about Ikuto; how old is he? What does he look like? Every little detail about him Amu could muster.

Amu barely paid attention in her last two classes, she was too busy buzzing with energy for her search later that day.

At the final bell, Amu shot out of her class. She planned to me Silver at the cars, where her mother would pick them up.

"Amu!" Silver called out as she ran up and half pounced on/ half crashed into Amu. Amu nearly toppled over, but caught herself on the wall next to her.

"Next time, walk like a normal person?" Amu suggested as Silver got off of her.

"Ah, sure. If I remember." Silver laughed as she straightened herself up. Amu chuckled as she got out of the way of other teens rushing to their own rides.

"Where's your mom at?" Amu asked once Silver joined her outside the doors to stand with Amu.

"Oh, not here yet. She gets off work at 3 today, so we need to hang around here for a bit. I live too far to walk." Silver stated. Amu sighed, and dropped her bag to the ground at her feet. She hopped up onto the brick siding at the stairs, and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contacts, stopping at Ikuto's name for the gazillionth time.

"Should I try to call him or something?" Amu asked, more to herself than Silver.

"Hm? You mean Ikuto? I think you should try. Or text him. He might reply, you never know." Silver answered, pulling her own phone out to use. Amu looked at Silver for a second, then back at her phone.

_Are you there?_ Amu typed in, and let her finger hover over the send button. Silver looked at her from over her phone, silently urging her to hit send. Amu took a deep breath before pressing the button, for the millionth time.

"There. I sent it." Amu said, putting her phone in her lap, and leaning her head on the wall behind her.

"It wasn't that hard. You're just scared that he won't reply, or that he can't." Silver said, taking in Amu's appearance. She looked worried.

"I know. It's been so long. He used to at least message me, sometimes call. Then, slowly, it became nothing. I'm scared he forgot about me, that he doesn't care anymore." Amu choked out, and Silver hurried over to her, to calm her down.

"Hey, now. You know he cares. He has to, you know. You're a hard girl to forget. He deserves a right punch for doing this to you." Silver soothed. Amu sniffed.

"Yeah, I guess." Amu muttered. Silver let out a sigh. They both looked down at Amu's lap, at the phone, when it began to buzz.

"It could be him, or it could be someone else." Silver said, halfheartedly. Amu held up the phone with shaking hands.

"I'll never know unless I look." Amu said, pressing unlock. The typed her pass code in, and, with a shaking finger, pulled up the text.

_Ikuto Tsukiyomi_

_Received 2:18 pm_

_Who is this?_

Amu stared at the phone, blinking. Silver stared at her, confused.

"Maybe he changed his number?" Silver suggested weakly. Amu nodded slightly.

"Yeah, must be it." Amu agreed, just as weakly. She hit reply, and quickly typed the message.

_Is this Ikuto? If not, sorry to bother you._

The girls sat in absolute silence, staring at the phone. They didn't breathe, it seemed. Amu took a sharp breath when the screen blacked out. Silver kept her eyes glued to the screen, waiting.

At the first buzz, Amu grabbed her phone and unlocked it.

_Ikuto Tsukiyomi_

_Received 2:27_

_No. Sorry. I just got this number today._

Amu sighed, slightly relieved. Silver gave Amu a half smile, and leaned back.

"Thank god. I was gonna pound him senseless if he had forgotten you." Silver laughed. Amu let out a laugh, deleting the number from her phone.

"Well, there's the end of that. I guess I'll look the old fashioned way." Amu said, a smile on her face.

"Guess so. Hey, Amu? Why do you think he's here? Of all places in the country, why this place?" Silver asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

**/**

**Aaaand, scene.**

**I finally got it done! Last day of break, too.**

**I wont be updating, at any type of regularity, for a while. I have a lot of tests starting up at school, so I'm stuck studying.**

**Please don't fave/alert without reviewing! Please and thank you!**

**- Dolly xx**


	5. One Step Closer To The Edge

_**Te**__mp_tati**on**_s_

Amu Hinamori is seventeen years old, and starting a new school, in a whole new country.

Her quest: Look for **him**_**.**_

Her companions: Her new friends.

Her reasoning: Realization.

Do you need any more to infer?

**/**

**Chapter Five: One Step Closer To The Goal**

**/**

**Heeeeeeey, dolls.**

**I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING FOR FREAKING EVER.**

**School took over my life for a while, and I'm rarely let onto the computer, so I have very limited time to write.**

**But, I'm going to work on this more! I promise.**

**/**

_Amu sighed, slightly relieved. Silver gave Amu a half smile, and leaned back._

"_Thank god. I was gonna pound him senseless if he had forgotten you." Silver laughed. Amu let out a laugh, deleting the number from her phone._

"_Well, there's the end of that. I guess I'll look the old fashioned way." Amu said, a smile on her face._

"_Guess so. Hey, Amu? Why do you think he's here? Of all places in the country, why this place?" Silver asked, her curiosity getting the best of her._

/

Amu looked at Silver, a faint smile on her face.

"Utau, my roomate, it Ikuto's kid sister. She said that this is a likely place for him. With it being a highly musical town, and all. I have one year to find him before I have to get home, back to Japan." Amu explained. Silver nodded.

"Is that all? Just what his sister said? That's not much to go on, you know." Silver pried for more information from the other girl.

"Yeah, well… something just tells me he's here, you know? Or he will be. His dad had stayed under the radar for years now, and it's only possible in small towns, really. And Aruto wouldn't go somewhere where he couldn't play his violin. Ikuto would come to these little towns first." Amu confided.. Silver grinned.

"Alright, then. That's a good excuse. Now, my mom's here. Let's go!" Silver jumped off the brick banister, and grabbed her bag. Amu quickly followed suit, following Silver to a champagne colored car with a cheery middle aged woman in the drivers seat.

"You must be Amu! I'm Hannah, Silver's mom." the woman smiled at Amu as she got in the car.

"Hi." Amu smiled at Silver's mom.

"Mom, we need to go see Elliott. Amu needs to ask him something." Silver directed as they pulled out of the school parking lot. Hannah nodded.

"Okay. Next time, tell me _before_ I pick you up. I told your father I'd be home right after getting you two." Hannah jokingly glared at Silver, who grinned back in reply.

"It's not like Dad cares." Silver replied, reaching for the radio. Amu awkwardly watched the exchange, feeling homesick yet again. She missed all the laughs she had with her own mom.

The drive to Elliott's apartment was surprisingly short, and next thing Amu knew, she was standing in the middle of a college boys bachelor pad with Silver and Elliott.

"So, Eli. I have a major favor to ask you." Silver started, leading everyone to the seats.

"What's up, sis?" Elliott asked, sitting at the edge of an old, worn chair.

"In the city, have any new classical violinists started playing?" Silver asked, choosing to stay vague with her questions, much to Amu's relief.

"A few have, yeah. Mostly locals, but one or two out-of-towners. Why? Looking to go to a show anytime soon?" Elliott joked, and Amu let a quiet chuckle out.

"Something like that. Do you know the out-of-towners names?" Silver said, standing up. Elliott shook his head, causing Amu to frown.

"Sorry. I don't have that information yet. Something about keeping anon, and having a big show soon. None of us get names until the day of the show." Elliott apologized, standing up also.

"Ah. Alrighty, then. Well, thanks, bro. I'll see you later." Silver smiled at her older bother, leading Amu out.

"Anytime, sis." Elliott said, closing his door behind the girls.

"Well. Now what?" Silver asked as they walked to Hannah's car. Amu shrugged.

"Honestly? I have no clue. We can wait until this show, and hope he's there. Or we can go to the city this weekend, and try to catch sight of him." Amu said, stopping in front of the door, her hand on the handle.

"It's up to you. Though I'm not too sure he'll recognize your rainbow hair all that much." Silver teased, opening her door. Amu laughed as she got situated in the backseat.

"Now. Home." Hannah said, leaving the parking lot. Silver laughed.

"Yes, mom. Home." Silver smiled, turning to stare out the window.

Amu tried her hardest to get rid of the feeling of homesickness that overwhelmed her when she watched Silver and Hannah together. She missed home, of course, but she missed Ikuto more. He left before she started middle school, and now she was nearly done with high school.

"Amu? We're here." Silver said, her legs outside of the door, her body turned to look at Amu.

"Oh. Sorry, I was spacing." Amu smiled, getting her things together to get out of the car. She followed Silver up the brick walkway, to the small, cozy house. Hannah was already inside, bickering with Silver's dad over something.

"Let's go up to my room. Dad doesn't seem to be in the best of moods today." Silver cringed when her dad yelled back at Hannah. Amu quickly followed Silver up the staircase, and into one of the various doors in the hall.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Silver said sarcastically as Amu walked in. The room was painted a power blue, with posters, photos, pictures, and random mementos. She had a queen sized bed in the corner, the bed set white and purple. A desk sat under the window, covered in papers, textbooks, and pens. A violin was nearly hidden under a pile of clothes, a flute case on top of it all.

"This is much more cozy than my room." Amu said, dropping her things onto the only clear spot on the floor. Silver laughed, and launched to her bed.

"I love my room, but Skye's is soooo much better! Era's is cool, too. But, they live in a mansion, so it's expected to have an amazing room, right?" Silver gushed, earning a laugh from Amu.

"I bet. I'll have to make a trip over there, then." Amu replied, sitting at the desk chair. Silver grinned at her.

"Now, down to business. I can find out if Ikuto has ever been here." Silver said, dragging a laptop from under a pillow.

"I'm not going to ask how. I think it's illegal. But, go for it." Amu replied, moving to lay on the bed next to Silver. On the screen, there were various windows Amu had no idea what they did, with letters and numbers thrown into a seemingly random order.

"Good! Alrighty, then. His name here… age…" Silver muttered, typing. Amu watched menus open and close in seconds, barely registering what was happening. Within minutes, a final screen was up, showing Ikuto's passport, and his school record.

"Dude. You weren't joking. This guy is some _serious_ eye candy." Silver gaped at Ikuto's picture. His hair was slightly tousled, his signature smirk on his face, with a mischievous glint in his midnight eyes.

"Yeah, he's hot. And funny, and nice. And a pervert." Amu finished her statement with a slightly agitated tone, earning herself a nudge from Silver.

"_All_ guys are perverts. Why should Hottie McHot Hot be any different?" Silver teased, returning to the screen.

"Whatever. Just figure out if he's been here." Amu instructed halfheartedly, a small smile on her face.

"Alright, alright." Silver replied with an eye roll, scrolling through the menu. She stopped, read, then nodded.

"He's been here. I don't know if he's left, though. He hasn't used his passport or any type of credit cards in about a year. And no work history. Not since high school, employed by some place called Easter." Silver said, closing the screen.

"Of course, he'd make it impossible to find himself. He is, after all, _Ikuto._" Amu huffed. Silver gave her a half smile.

"I can do some more digging, find any and all times his name has been used in any documentation in the city and town in the past year." Silver suggested, to which Amu nodded.

"Might as well." Amu replied. Silver clicked more buttons, more screens flew through, and finally, a rather short list appeared on the screen.

"It would seem that he has been mentioned in a few Facebook posts, Tweets, and a few flyers for public performances." Silver skimmed.

"What does it all say?" Amu asked eagerly.

"Just advertising for his violin playing, and posts about how 'beautiful' his music is." Silver reported, getting a sigh from Amu. "I'll write down the addresses of the performances. Maybe he frequents those places?" Silver said, hopefully, as she reached for her bag.

"Why not?" Amu replied, rolling onto her back.

"Hey, Amu?" Silver asked, her voice distracted. Amu looked up at her form the corner of her eye.

"Yeah?" she replied, placing her arm over her eyes.

"How will Ikuto recognize you with rainbow hair?" Silver pointed out. Amu froze.

"Shit. I forgot I did that. I'll need to redye it pink before we go to the city." Amu replied, using her elbows to push herself up.

"Have Mia do it. She'll be sure not to damage your hair too much." Silver said, closing her laptop. Amu nodded.

Hannah offered to give Amu a ride home, but Amu declined, saying Utau was going to pick her up, much to Utau's displeasure.

Once back at the apartment, Amu walked into the bathroom, and stared at her reflection.

"Hinamori Amu… what is wrong with you?" Amu whispered, wiping a tear from her pale cheek. "Letting one stupid guy do this to you…" Amu scolded herself, moving to sit on the floor. She pulled her legs to her chest, and buried her face in her knees, letting her tears flow.

"How could I let myself fall in love with him…?" Amu whispered, choking on air. He sat there for over an hour, crying.

Utau stood outside the door, her eyes sad and slightly watery.

"Damn it, Amu. He's here…" she whispered, barely audiable, her phone in her hand, a text on the screen.

_Received: 9:57 PM_

_Sent By: Ikuto T._

_Message: Tell Amu I love her for me, okay?_

_I don't know when I'll be back._

_Come see me? I'm performing Saturday in Bedshire._


	6. Secrets, Vanity, and a Trip To The City

_**Te**__mp_tati**on**_s_

Amu Hinamori is seventeen years old, and starting a new school, in a whole new country.

Her quest: Look for **him**_**.**_

Her companions: Her new friends.

Her reasoning: Realization.

Do you need any more to infer?

**/**

**Chapter Six: Secrets, Vanity, and a Trip to the City**

**/**

**This is going to be a LONG chapter! I think the longest yet.**

**And, I'm sorry about taking forever to update. I had writers block!**

**Aaaand, I hate to say this, but Temptations is coming to a close!**

**I have this idea set for it, and it means it needs to end earlier than I expected. I don't plan a sequel for it, either.**

**Please, enjoy it though!**

* * *

><p>"<em>Hinamori Amu… what is wrong with you?" Amu whispered, wiping a tear from her pale cheek. "Letting one stupid guy do this to you…" Amu scolded herself, moving to sit on the floor. She pulled her legs to her chest, and buried her face in her knees, letting her tears flow.<em>

"_How could I let myself fall in love with him…?" Amu whispered, choking on air. He sat there for over an hour, crying._

_Utau stood outside the door, her eyes sad and slightly watery._

"_Damn it, Amu. He's here…" she whispered, barely audiable, her phone in her hand, a text on the screen._

_Received: 9:57 PM_

_Sent By: Ikuto T._

_Message: Tell Amu I love her for me, okay?_

_I don't know when I'll be back._

_Come see me? I'm performing Saturday in Bedshire._

* * *

><p>Utau woke Amu up early on Saturday, so she could be ready by time her friends came to pick her up. Amu had her hair redyed the bubblegum pink they used to be, much to Utau's relief.<p>

"Amu, you seem down. Is something wrong?" Utau asked suddenly. Amu looked up from her breakfast, and shrugged.

"I'm just beginning to think that there's no point in searching anymore. I doubt I'll ever find him. I doubt he even wants me to find him." Amu confessed, her golden eyes dark with emotion. Utau sighed, sounding much older than she was.

"Amu, he loves you. I promise you. He want's to be with you as much as you want to be with him." she told Amu, getting a head shake in return.

"Then why has he been gone for this long? He left me over _four years ago_." Amu shot back, pushing her plate away. Utau cleaned up the food that fell off the plate silently, forcing herself to not tell Amu where he really was.

"Amu. Go get ready. Just- just get ready, go out with your friends. Get out of the house." Utau said, sounding more harsh than she intended. Amu stared at Utau for a second, an expression of disbelief on her face. She shoved her chair back, and hurried down the hall, closing and locking her door quickly.

Utau sat down, and sighed sadly. Her phone chirped, alerting her of a text message. She opened it, and saw it was from her brother.

_Received: 8:12 AM_

_Sent By: Ikuto T._

_Message: Call me. I need to talk to you. NOW._

Utau closed her phone, and held it tightly in her hand.

"Damn it, Ikuto. Just call _her_ for once." she whispered, putting the phone on the table to finish cleaning up breakfast. She could faintly hear Amu in her room, talking to someone.

* * *

><p>"Skye, do you think you could come earlier?" Amu choked into her phone. Skye's reply was quick, concerned. Amu sniffled, wiping her eyes furiously.<p>

"Thanks. I'll call you when I'm ready." she said, ending the call and tossing the phone to her bed. Amu looked around the room, taking in the bare white walls, and the supreme lack of mess. She grabbed her suitcases, and began shoving her things inside, prepared to leave. She set an outfit for her to wear aside, placing any and all things of hers into the bags.

She put on the outfit quickly. Ikuto's school shirt (worn as a jacket), a neon pink tank top, black skinny jeans held up by the rainbow belt, black converse, and her spade charm. She filled her small messenger bag with the essentials- makeup bag, brush, wallet, keys, and a few random things she figured she'd need.

She put the suitcases under the bed, out of sight if someone looked in real quick. She sent Skye a text to get her, and walked into the bathroom to finish her makeup.

* * *

><p>Utau let Skye in when she arrived, not surprised Amu called her early.<p>

"You must be the room mate." Skye said once inside, referring to Utau, who nodded absently.

"Among other things, yes." Utau replied, walking down the hall to get Amu. Amu hurried down the hall.

"Bye, Utau." Amu said, walking out the door. Skye followed Amu, confused.

"Amu, what's up?" Skye asked, jogging to catch up with Amu as she power walked to the car.

"Nothing." Amu muttered, getting into the car. Skye looked at her skeptically, and started the car.

"Don't you shut down on me. I don't have to take you to Bedshire today. Tell me what's bothering you. If you find Ikuto, you don't want to be in a bad mood." Skye said in a threatening tone, giving Amu a sidelong glance. Amu sighed.

"It's just that. I have no idea if Ikuto is even here! Utau knows something, but she won't tell me anything. Knowing her, she knows where he is, but won't tell me." Amu exploded, tears stinging her eyes again. Skye sighed.

"Amu. Honestly, if she does know where he is, she probably hasn't told you for a reason. Does it matter? You told me that he confessed he loved you. When you were, what, twelve? Give him the benefit of the doubt. He deserves it, don't you think?" Skye tried to console her, to little avail.

"It's been nearly five years, Skye. If he even remembers me, I'll be surprised. He's the one that left, not me. I was forced to wait. I'm still waiting! Waiting, and looking." Amu shot back, letting her tears fall.

"Amu Hinamori. Do not doubt him. Not until you know the truth. When you see him, and you will, you can yell and scream at him all you want." Skye scolded. Amu nodded, wiping her tears from her face.

"I guess. Thanks." Amu muttered, removing all traces of her tears. Skye smiled.

"There we go. All better. I should be a therapist." Skye joked, making Amu laugh.

"Oh, yeah. Make your patients better with threats." Amu sarcastically replied, earning a playful smack from Skye.

"I'm gonna go pick Era up, then we might as well head to the city." Skye explained, turning off the main road onto a road that went up a hill.

"Alright." Amu replied, looking out her window as they passed large houses with even larger yards.

"Yeah, we're from rich-bitch land. I hate the people here. I moved here when I was ten, and we've been stuck since." Skye explained, turning into a yard, her car crunching the gravel path to the front of the large house.

"Silver said y'all lived in a mansion. I didn't really believe her. I do now." Amu said, getting out of the car to stare at the house. It was an off white stone, with white pillars supporting an overhead walkway. The windows were large, covered by white curtains.

"The place is _very_ white. Until you get to the bedrooms. Mom has a thing where she needs to impress prying eyes." Skye said, walking up the steps to the large wooden door. She unlocked it, revealing a large, open foyer, with a couple of overstuffed white chairs, with glass coffee tables that held up dainty lamps.

"Mom! I'm back!" Skye called into the house. She took her grey pea coat off and put it into one of the closets by the door.

"I'm in the living room." she heard a voice call back. Skye lead her through the house, stopping in the living room, a mix of tan and white. A tan leather couch faced the large TV, white chairs surrounding the large glass coffee table, which was covered by magazines and other random things. Smaller tables where placed in the corners made by the furniture, making the area squared off. A crystal chandelier hung above them, holding various lights.

"This is Amu, mom." Skye said, sitting in one of the chairs, looking at her mom, who was on the couch.

The woman had long, curly blonde hair, which was pinned in a low ponytail. She as dressed in pajamas, a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Hi! I'm Serena, Skye and Era's mom." she said, standing up as she introduced herself. Amu smiled politely.

"We're here to get Era, then we're gonna go spend the day in Bedshire." Skye told her mom, motioning for Amu to sit down.

"Era's still in bed. So is Amelia, actually. You woke me up with all the noise you made leaving this morning." Serena said, laughing lightly. Skye rolled her eyes.

"I woke up to her calling me to pick her up. A fight with her room mate or something." Skye explained, kicking her legs over the arm of her chair, laying in it sideways.

"I don't need an explanation for everything you do, Skylar. I'll go get your sister up for you." Serena said, getting up and walking up the stairs. Skye scowled.

"I hate it when you use my whole name!" Skye called, getting a hearty laugh in return.

"Skylar? That's such a guys name." Amu joked.

"No kidding. Era's whole name is Serabeth. Skylar and Serabeth Vanity. I don't want to know what that woman was thinking when she named us." Skye complained. Amu laughed.

"Never would have guessed you two had such odd names." Amu remarked, laughing. Skye cracked a smile.

"Odd, like us." Skye settled, throwing her head back over the arm, to stare at the ceiling.

"_Mom! Get out!_" Era's voice screeched from somewhere upstairs, followed by a door slamming shut.

"Get up, lazy ass! Your presence is required by your sister!" Serena's voice yelled back, pounding on the door.

Skye sighed, and swung her legs onto the floor, and stood.

"I think I need to go save that door." Skye muttered, walking to the stairs. Amu followed her, not wanting to be left to her own devices in a foreign house.

Once up the stairs, the girls spotted Serena in from of a closed door, her hands on her hips.

"Serabeth Nadine Vanity, open this door _right now._" Serena hissed, getting a muffled yell in reply.

Skye shook her head, pulling her keys from her pocket. She picked a key, and walked to the door, moving her mom out of the way. She unlocked Era's door, swinging it open wide.

"_SKYE!_" Era's voice screeched, throwing pillows at her twin. Skye dodged the pillows, and moved into the room.

"Get up, sleeping beauty. We've got company." Skye said, jumping on Era. Era groaned, burying her head under the remaining pillow on her bed. Amu laughed, and Serena rolled her eyes, walking away, a short laugh escaping her lips as she descended the stairs. Amu leaned against the doorframe, looking around the room.

It was light purple. Well, the walls were. From what Amu could see, at least. Posters, pictures, notes, and other various things covered nearly every inch of the wall. A desk was haphazardly thrown into a corner, covered in papers and pens, a chair that held her school bag sitting next to it. A dresser, with drawers open, was next to what Amu assumed was a closet or bathroom. The bed was between to large windows. The cover was black, but the sheets were neon pink and green. Pillows of every shape and size covered the floor by the door, a few managed to make it to the plush white hall. Clothes and papers covered the floor, along with a fuzzy neon rainbow rug.

"C'mon, _Serabeth._ I'd like to get to the city _today._" Amu complained. Era glared up at her, finally getting up. She- literally- slid out of the bed, and walked to the dresser to find clothes.

"It's cold, sis." Skye said flippantly, getting up to leave the room. Amu bit back a laugh at Era's loud, over-exaggerated groan before stalking after Skye. Skye went to her own room, which was a couple of doors down from Era's.

* * *

><p>Skye's room was much neater than her twins, but just as crazy. Her walls were the color of red wine, but, like Era's room, the walls were covered with various things. Her desk was neat, all the papers in somewhat even stacks. The dresser was properly closed, and all clothes were picked up off the plush white carpet. The bed was next to the balcony, like Amu's old room back home in Japan. The cover was white, and from what Amu could see, the sheets were neon zebra print. The pillows were every color of the rainbow.<p>

"You've seen all of the mansion that is really worth seeing. Mom likes plain decorating, and Mia is packing to leave for college. The place is either boring or empty. Maybe the music room is cool. But, whatever." Skye said, flopping onto her bed. Amu saw a laptop on one side of the bed, closed and neatly tucked under a blanket, as if hiding.

"Better than my apartment. It's barely big enough for Utau and me. I'm shocked we've managed this long." Amu commented, sitting in the chair at the desk. Skye shrugged.

"Just 'cause this place is big doesn't mean it's comfy. Half the place is off-limits to us, since Mom has all of Dad's crap stored there. I don't see why she doesn't use the basement or attic, or even the shed out back!" Skye moaned, tossing her hands into the air for emphasis. Amu chuckled.

"Who knows? What happened to your dad, anyhow?" Amu asked. Now that she thought about it, Skye had never mentioned her father before.

"I'm not sure. Mom won't tell us. Mia knows, I think. But she won't fess up. I remember he was around until I was, like, five, but then he just disappeared. Never saw him again. Ever since, Mom moved everything of his to the spare rooms, and locked them up." Skye explained, a frown set on her face. Amu nodded slightly.

"Utau was like that when Ikuto first left. Whenever I would see her, his room was locked up and nobody was allowed in. Not even his own mother!" Amu could laugh about it now. Skye laughed.

"What is this Utau to Ikuto? Haven't you told me that before already?" Skye laughed at her question. Amu shrugged, laughing along with Skye.

'I don't know. But Utau is Ikuto's sister. She used to have this major brother complex before she met one of my friends Kukai." Amu explained, sitting in the chair in fron of the desk. Skye let out a sudden, short laugh.

"Ick. 'Least she's over it." she muttered, flopping back onto the bed. The girls sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts. That is, until, Era showed up.

"And _I'm_ the lazy one?" Era's accusatory voice was directed at Skye, who shot her a dark look. Amu stood up, and put her arm around Era's shoulder.

"Looks to me like both of you are lazy asses." Amu ducked a pillow and dodged a smack from the girls, and laughed her way out of the room. "And as much as I love being abused, I think we should be going now."

Skye ushered everyone downstairs, calling a goodbye to her mother, then out the door. Era called shotgun, forcing Amu to sit in the backseat alone. Skye turned on the radio once she started the car, and nearly sped out of the gravel drive and onto the road.

"Bedshire, here we come!" Era laughed as soon as Skye got to the high way. The girls laughed loudly, and started the long drive to the city.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, before you shoot me, I'm working on chapter seven now!<strong>

**This has a lot of hints to the end in it, if you catch them.**

**Please review!**

**- Dolly xx**


	7. Symphoniae Amoris

_**Te**__mp_tati**on**_s_

Amu Hinamori is seventeen years old, and starting a new school, in a whole new country.

Her quest: Look for **him**_**.**_

Her companions: Her new friends.

Her reasoning: Realization.

Do you need any more to infer?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven: Symphoniae Amoris<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The title translates to "Symphony of Love," from Latin to English.<strong>

**It's nearly the end!**

**Maybe one or two more chapters.**

**I'm sorry it wasn't as long as originally promised, but I have to work on my other story, and I have a few more story ideas I want to work on.**

**Thanks for your patience and support!**

* * *

><p>"<em>Looks to me like both of you are lazy asses." Amu ducked a pillow and dodged a smack from the girls, and laughed her way out of the room. "And as much as I love being abused, I think we should be going now."<em>

_Skye ushered everyone downstairs, calling a goodbye to her mother, then out the door. Era called shotgun, forcing Amu to sit in the backseat alone. Skye turned on the radio once she started the car, and nearly sped out of the gravel drive and onto the road._

"_Bedshire, here we come!" Era laughed as soon as Skye got to the high way. The girls laughed loudly, and started the long drive to the city._

* * *

><p>After the two hour drive to the city of Bedshire, Skye parked her car, and everyone got out.<p>

"Welcome to Bedshire, home of the urban movement of the area." Skye said, gesturing to the streets. Amu looked around, taking in the musicians and artists set up on the streets, collecting tips from the passerby. Cars were parked on the sides of the road or in parking garages, with everyone out and walking about.

"Pretty much everyone parks their car and walks around here. It's part of the charm of the city. It's not all cliché like." Era said as she began walking towards a group of people crowding a young musician.

"That's amazing…" Amu whispered as they came to a stop. The boy looked barely older than Amu herself, but the way he played the flute he held made him seem so much older and more mature. Skye nudged them to keep walking down the crowded sidewalk.

"We're not here to admire these kids. We're here to find Ikuto." Skye said, preventing them from stopping at another crowd. Amu chuckled, but kept walking along the way, examining each group carefully.

"Wait. What instrument did Ikuto play again?" Era asked suddenly.

"Violin." Amu replied automatically. The image of her finding him playing his violin in the park suddenly came to her.

"Okay.. Classical? Rock? What genre?" Era continued her questioning.

"Classical." Amu, again, replied as if automatically.

"Alrighty. Listen to Alexander, here. Did he sound like him? Or more professional?" Era questioned yet again, leading them to a boy that looked to be a few years older than them. He was playing a violin. Amu stopped, and listened closely. She noticed the differences in the playing. Ikuto was more at ease with his playing. More relaxed. Alexander, while a great player himself, was more stiff and nervous.

"Definitely more professional. Ikuto always made it so.. Natural." Amu tried to explain, but felt as though she failed. Era nodded, though. She seemed to understand what Amu meant.

"Perfect! Hey, Alex. I need to ask you something." Era suddenly turned to the boy, who looked up at her curiously. He nodded, then finished his song.

"Yes, Era?" he asked, his voice was soft, but smooth. Like a boy who could easily get what he wanted.

"Do you know of any performances today? With violinists?" Era asked, and suddenly, Amu knew what she was doing. He seemed to think for a minute, then nodded.

"There is a symphony performance today, as well as a couple violin-exclusive performances." he replied. Era grinned.

"Perfect. Where?" she asked him. He sighed.

"The symphony is at the Union Center. The other performances are at all of the other main performance halls." he replied, then began to play again. Skye dragged Era away before she could ask the boy any more questions.

"He didn't give me times! How can we go to all if we don't have times!" Era hissed at Skye.

"Let's just ask someone else? Or go to the places and check? We have all day, Era." Amu said, as though it were obvious. Era looked at Amu, and blinked.

"Oh. Yeah, right. I knew that." Era laughed, scratching the back of her head, a sheepish grin on her face. Amu shook her head, and began walking in a random direction.

"The Hawthorn Music Appreciation Centre is near here. We can find all the information there." Skye said, moving in front of Amu to direct her.

* * *

><p>After a short, ten minute walk, they were at the place.<p>

"Welcome to Hawthorn!" a perky receptionist greeted them as they walked in. A blast of warm air hit them, instantly making their faces turn pink.

"Hi, um, do you have any information on the violin performances this evening?" Amu asked, placing her hands on the cool counter. The girl nodded, and began typing on the computer.

"What all do you need for them?" she asked, stopping her typing to look at Amu.

"Just time, location, and price. Oh, and the Symphony, as well." Amu smiled, to which the girl nodded. She typed some more, then printed out a paper for them, with all the information she asked for.

"There ya go." she said, handing it to Amu.

"Thanks!" Amu smiled, and turned to leave with Skye and Era. They all crowded around Amu, looking at the paper.

"The earliest one is in thirty minutes, at the local music hall. Then, every hour until 9, when the symphony starts." Amu said, looking at Skye.

"Perfect! Well, lets go to the first one. We'll leave if you don't see Ikuto." Skye said, taking off. Amu and Era ran after her.

At the first music hall, they paid for admittance, and shuffled inside right as they were closing the doors for entry. They opted out of sitting, choosing to stand by the doors in the back. One by one, violinists played a piece or two, before disappearing backstage. Amu looked over a person shoulder, who was seated in the row she stood behind, and looked at the list of performers. Ikuto was not on the list.

"He's not here." Amu whispered, tugging on Skye's sleeve. Skye tugged Era's sleeve, and they silently slipped out of the room.

"There goes one hour of my life. Alright. Next?" Era muttered. Skye led them to the next place.

"Get a program, first." Amu said once Skye stepped towards the ticket booth. She looked at Era, who shrugged. Skye picked up a program, and handed it to Amu. She opened it, and skimmed the list of performers.

"Not here, either." Amu said, shoving the program in her bag.

"Oh! That's what you were doing! God, that's smart." Skye laughed, walking off towards the next location.

"Skye, sis, I'm starving!" Era whined, grabbing Skye's arm and shaking it dramatically. Skye laughed as she yanked her arm away.

"Soon, darling. Soon." Skye replied, earning a groan of protest from Era. Amu laughed as the twins bickering.

"Hey, Skye? Think the Music Appreciation place will have programs for all these?" Amu asked.

"Maybe. We can check. It's on the way to the next place." Skye shrugged. Era kept wagging her sisters arm, whining about being hungry, like a child.

At Hawthorn, Amu stepped inside, being greeted by the same receptionist.

"Need something else, Miss?" she asked, a smile on her face.

"Uh, yeah. Do you have any programs for the violin performances this evening?" Amu asked, laughing sheepishly.

"Oh, of course. Just around the corner. There should be a wall full of programs, organized by location." she smiled, pointing to her left. Amu thanked her and walked around the corner. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the wall. Skye whistled.

"Never been this way. That's a lotta programs. They update these daily?" Skye said, walking to the wall, and picking up a program.

"Well.. Let's get started." Amu said, walking to the wall.

* * *

><p>After an hour of looking, they had all the programs for every performance on the list. Amu collapsed into one of the couches in the room, letting out a puff.<p>

"Damn, that was a lot of work." Amu muttered. Skye laughed, and Era plopped down next to Amu.

"I'm still hungry!" Era whined. Amu swatted her arm lighting, falling over onto her.

"Let's go get some food. We can spilt these up and look at them." Amu suggested. Era squealed at that suggestion. Skye laughed.

"Yeah, whatever." Skye said, getting up and walking towards the lobby.

"Find everything you needed?" the girl asked once they were all by the foyer. Amu smiled brightly at her.

"Yes, we did! Thanks a lot." Amu said, waving at her. She faintly heard a reply as they left the building.

"Oh. My. God. It's freezing." Era muttered once outside. Amu gave her a sideways glance, then made her way towards the restaurants. The twins followed her, Skye making comments about the best places to eat at.

Once they were seated inside a small café for lunch, Skye dropped the pile of programs on the table.

"Alex said a couple. Not friggin' twenty." Skye grumbled, dividing the pile up into thirds. Amu took one, and slid the other to Era.

"Yeah, well, at least we're getting somewhere." Amu replied, flipping through the first program. The other girls mumbled a response, also opening up the first programs.

* * *

><p>By time the girls made it through their lunch, they only got through maybe six programs total. Amu sighed.<p>

"How long do you think we can stay here before they kick us out?" Amu asked Skye.

"If we order something every now and then, we're free to stay until closing." Skye replied, shrugging. Amu nodded, and went back to her pile.

Era finished her pile first. She shook her head at Skye and Amu when they looked up at her. Skye grumbled something, and Amu sighed. Skye had three more, and Amu had five. Era got up to use the bathroom.

Era sat back down, and ordered hot chocolate to go for them. The waitress seemed ecstatic that they were finally wrapping up.

"Nada." Skye said, shoving away the last program away. Amu looked up at her, holding her last program, for the Symphony.

"Last one." Amu whispered, opening it. She scanned the performers like she had all day, her eyes stopping on one name.

"Amu..?" Skye asked expectantly. Era looked over Amu's arm, and scanned the list. A grin broke out over her face.

"It's him! Ikuto's performing!" she whispered to her twin. Skye's eyes went wide, a grin on her face.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm actually very happy with how this turned out.<br>End of chapter seven! Finally.**

**Chapter eight is nearly done. If I don't get carried away, there will be up to twelve chapters, close to my original plan.  
>'Til then.<strong>

**Please review!**

**- Dolly xx **


End file.
